e.g.

the August 1939 regulations specified an oblong flag for Battalion CO in Corps colours
(brown/gren/red ir RTC colours) with the battalion number superimposed in black, company
COs had swallowtail flags in red, yellow and blue for A,B.C company/squadron respectively,
section/troop COs had triangular flags in black with diagonal stripes (red for 1,6 and 11
section, yellow for 2,7 and 12 section, blue for 3,8 and 13 section, green for 4,9 and 14
section and white for 5, 10 and 15 section).

In North Africa at least, the positions definitely varied with the orders of the day.
Whether the colors changed daily or not is less clear to me. Perhaps some units
used the same colors always, while some varied them daily? Here are a few
excerpts from the plate descriptions of an Osprey Vanguard.

Compare:

"Pennants followed troop colouring for troop leaders and were plain red on other
tanks, and were flown in the 'position of the day' to indicated friendly forces . . . ."
Bryan Perrett, British Tanks in N. Africa 1940-42, at page 30 (Osprey, 1981).

with:

"Blue pennants were flown in the position of the day . . . . Yellow pennants, one top,
one middle, were ordered for 14 May. . . . One red and one white pennants are flown
centrally, the sequence for 26 October 1942." Id. at 30-32.

There were other pennants too, for HQ or special vehicles. Plate B1 from the above
source shows a "brigade command pennant in brown, red and green with the
bridade's marguerite flower insignia in white, yellow and green." Id. at 30. "We
illustrate a possible regimental pennant in red and black, indicating either a squadron
leader or a navigator's tank." Id. at 32.

I think it would also be useful to discern friend from foe at a distance, when the exact
type of vehicle would be difficult to identify. We are so used to seeing brightly painted
models from a God's-eye perspective that we forget how hard it can be to identify
drably painted tanks in all the dust and confusion.
John, you are right and thanks for that. So we are talking about "Troops" for say, the
Cavalry Regts of 2nd "Light" Armoured Brigade.

Martin, is this a correct interpretation for the numbering of troops and associated
pennants per 1939 Reg's?

Regimental Headquarters

 RED OBLONG FLAG, number 4 in black

3 X A10 Cruiser tank



A Squadron
Headquarters RED swallow tail

1 BLACK TRIANGLE, RED STRIPE 2 X A9 Cruiser Tank

2 X A13 Cruiser Tank

2 BLACK TRIANGLE, YELLOW STRIPE 1 troop 3 X A13 Cruiser Tank
3 BLACK TRIANGLE, BLUE STRIPE 2 troop 3 X A13 Cruiser Tank

4 BLACK TRIANGLE GREEN STRIPE 3 troop 3 X VIC Light Tank

5 BLACK TRIANGLE, WHITE STRIPE 4 troop 3 X VIC Light Tank



B Squadron
Headquarters YELLOW swallow tail

6 2 X A9 Cruiser Tank
2 X A13 Cruiser Tank
7 1 troop 3 X A13 Cruiser Tank

8 2 troop 3 X A13 Cruiser Tank

9 3 troop 3 X VIC Light Tank

10 4 troop 3 X VIC Light Tank



C Squadron
Headquarters BLUE swallow tail

11 3 X A13 Cruiser Tank

12 1 troop 3 X A13 Cruiser Tank
13 2 troop 3 X VIC Light Tank

14 3 troop 3 X VIC Light Tank

15 4 troop 3 X VIC Light Tank